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Pip Smith wins inaugural Helen Anne Bell Poetry Award

8 April 2013

Alumna Pip Smith wins this new award for excellence in poetry.

The Department of English is pleased to announce its first biennial Helen Anne Bell Poetry Award. Under the generous terms of Helen Anne Bell's will, a cash prize of $5,000 is offered for the best collection of 30 poems by an Australian female poet that have not previously appeared in book form, and is judged by celebrated Australian poets Judith Beveridge, Joanne Burns and Jill Jones.

The inaugural Helen Anne Bell poetry prize has been awarded to alumna Pip Smith for her manuscript Too Close for Comfort. Pip Smith graduated with a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Sydney in 2010. Pip adds this award to a number of literary achievements, having created the popular short story night Penguin Plays Rough, edited the group's published book The Penguin Plays Rough Book of Short Stories, and co-directed The National Young Writers' Festival in 2012.

"From the 56 manuscripts submitted," says Challis Professor of English Paul Giles, "the judges found Pip Smith's work to be dynamic, imaginative, varied yet cohesive, and engaging for its serious and playful look at aspects of Australian life".

Pip will accept her award at the School of Letters, Art and Media Prizes and Awards Ceremony on May 2nd. As part of the award, Pip Smith will have her manuscript published by the University of Sydney Press later in 2013.